From Trash to Tunes

An old tin paint can, a used fork, a scrap of wood—you might find these items in the trash. Or on Estrella Melgarejo’s viola. The 20-year-old student plays an instrument made entirely from these objects and other trash.

Melgarejo is part of the Recycled Orchestra. This student group from Paraguay plays on instruments made from garbage found in a nearby landfill.

An old tin paint can, a used fork, a scrap of wood-you might find these items in the trash. Or on Estrella Melgarejo's viola. The 20-year-old student plays an instrument made entirely from these objects and other trash.

Melgarejo is part of the Recycled Orchestra. This student group is from Paraguay. They play on instruments made from garbage found in a nearby landfill.

Favio Chávez, who grew up playing the guitar, came up with the idea for the orchestra. He was working on a recycling program in a region of Paraguay known for its massive landfill. Workers add about 1,500 tons of garbage each day.

Favio Chávez came up with the idea for the orchestra. He who grew up playing the guitar. He was working on a recycling program in a region of Paraguay known for its massive landfill. Workers add about 1,500 tons of garbage each day.

Courtesy of Landfill Harmonic Movie

A large can has been transformed into the body of a cello.

In 2006, Chávez wondered: What if the trash could be used to make music? He teamed up with a carpenter named Nicolás “Cola” Gómez to find out.

They experimented with many different materials to see which would work best. “We try to find items that can imitate classical instruments,” says Chávez.

Stringed instruments need hollow shapes—like metal cans or barrels—to project the sound, he says. Chávez plays on a guitar made from two large tin cans that once held sweet potatoes.

Wind instruments, such as saxophones and flutes, need a hollow tube and objects that function as keys. Chávez and Gómez use items like pipes, forks, and bottle caps. They even used old X-ray film to make the top of a drum.

In 2006, Chávez wondered: What if the trash could be used to make music? He teamed up with a carpenter named Nicolás "Cola" Gómez. They worked together to find out.

They experimented with many different materials. That was to see which would work best. "We try to find items that can imitate classical instruments," says Chávez.

Stringed instruments need hollow shapes-like metal cans or barrels. That is so they can project the sound, he says. Chávez plays on a guitar made from two large tin cans. The cans once held sweet potatoes.

Saxophones and flutes are wind instruments. They need different items, like a hollow tube and objects that work as keys. Chávez and Gómez use items like pipes, forks, and bottle caps. They even used old X-ray film to make the top of a drum.

Courtesy of Landfill Harmonic Movie

This viola contains scrap materials like a fork, discarded wood, and hollow objects.

No instrument is the same. Each one is made up of a different combination of materials. This means it takes a lot of effort to keep each one working. Musicians repair and tune their own instruments. Sometimes it can be difficult.

For Chávez and his students, the hard work is worth it. “Being part of the orchestra has been really extraordinary for me,” Melgarejo says. The group travels regularly, playing concerts around the world.

“Music is such a positive influence,” Chávez says. “It creates opportunity and teaches people to work together.”

No instrument is the same. Each one is made up of a different combination of materials. This means it takes a lot of effort to keep each one working. Musicians repair and tune their own instruments. Sometimes it can be difficult.

For Chávez and his students, the hard work is worth it. "Being part of the orchestra has been really extraordinary for me," Melgarejo says. The group travels regularly. They play concerts around the world.

"Music is such a positive influence," Chávez says. "It creates opportunity. And it teaches people to work together."

Roll a piece of computer paper around a pencil to make a thin tube. Use tape to fasten the tube together. Once the tube is taped together, push the pencil out with another pencil. Repeat this step so you have 2 thin tubes. These tubes will anchor the xylophone.

Make a tube that functions as a bar for the xylophone. Roll the short side of a full-size piece of construction paper tightly around a glue stick. This will make a larger tube shape. Use tape to fasten the tube together. Push the glue stick out with a pencil.

Place another sheet of construction paper vertically in front of you. Use a ruler to measure 5 inches from the end of the long side of the paper. Mark the points with a pencil. Draw a straight line down the length of the paper by connecting the points you marked. Cut along the line. Then roll the long side of the paper into a tube using the instructions in step 2.

Repeat step 3 by trimming 3 more sheets of construction paper to the following measurements: 6 inches, 7 1/2 inches, 8 1/4 inches. You should have 5 tubes of varying lengths for your xylophone.

Cut 10 pieces of string that are 10 inches long. Tie a piece of string to each end of the 5 construction paper tubes.

Order your construction paper tubes by length from longest to shortest. Use the leftover string to tie the construction paper tubes to the thin paper tubes. (The thin tubes will form a V because the construction paper tubes are different sizes.)